Once Upon a Time in Narnia (working title) Chapter 2
by ArkenK
Summary: Continuing the tale of Chapter 1. This chapter continues on Rumpelstiltskin and Melinda. Things advance in Storybrooke, while one Wicked Witch runs rampant, darker forces are gathering, and Belle continues to examine the mystery of Mrs. Aveline.


For twenty-eight years, Storybrooke did not change. Archie Hopper, better known to literary fans as Jiminy Cricket, walked his Dalmatian Pongo down the exact same path.

Ruby, also known as Little Red Riding Hood, had the almost the exact same argument with her Granny every day outside of their diner and boarding house.

And every day, a small girl, about twelve, with brown hair tangled with twigs in almost the exact same way would creep into Mr. Gold's shop after school. She would look around with the guilty fascination that children get when they know they probably shouldn't do something, but let their curiosity lead them to doing it anyways. As she always did, she found the strange golden device and pressed the button. As always it spun aimlessly, the first time she pressed it, until she said, "I am Simone."

At which point it locked six symbols, one after another, which she took as meaning "Truth."

She spun it again, and said, "I am a purple platypus."

She wasn't, of course, but there are stranger things in Storybrooke. It locked again, with six symbols she took to mean "Lie."

But when she spun it again, she said, "I was born in Storybrooke."

When it returned the symbols for lie, she decided it was broken and put it back on the shelf, before sneaking out. For she thought she knew she had been born in Storybrooke.

For twenty-eight years, she did the same thing. Only Regina, the evil Queen, and her adopted son Henry changed. Until Emma arrived and broke the curse, changing everything. All according to Rumpelstiltskin's plan. However, what happened when little Simone realized the device had been right was rather less a part of his plans.

It was nearly two years later, since she'd first realized the truth of Storybrooke. Simone finally had the magical book in hand along with the truth device. There was probably a fancy name for it, but she didn't know it. Adolf and Nick were restive, and would play while she focused on the book.

While the adults of Storybrooke dealt with other problems including flying monkeys, a years worth of lost memories, and one very wicked witch, she read, using the device when she was unsure of words. Soon, it became clear that she could be like Regina, or Mr. Gold, and have real power.

For someone who had lived as a peasant and then cursed to be without her real memories, end up as what amounted to a living prop in Regina's play, real power was attractive. She needed her own tutor. Fortunately, she found a ritual that would summon one.

But could she trust the tutor? To that, she lifted the golden truth device, and activated it, posing the question. It took her a moment to understand it's answer, but it came back as follows, "She will offer great power."

Taking that answer to mean yes, she decided to move forward. Most of the ingredients for the ritual she knew or could find. The blue flame just required some additives she could find, and the layout looked easy enough. But one gave her pause.

"Hey Nick... do you know anyone whose dad's name is Adam? We need a drop of his blood."

In the Enchanted forest, long ago, Rumpelstiltskin sprawled back and prepared to hear Melinda's tale.

"It was during the time when her majesty was beginning to gather real forces. There had been several forays north by the Narnians, and it had cost us minions each time, and both Queen Jadis and I agreed that we needed a better class of minion, something that could assault their precious castle... oh Cair Paravel or something like that, I forget. Minotaurs are decent slaves, but a bit linear in their thinking, " Melinda began.

"Then we heard tales of giant beanstalks having descended from the sky, and a huge city built to the far north. A city of giants, tall and proud, and full of potential warriors. Warriors to lead us to victory, or so we imagined at the time. But we did not know that someone had preceded us.

Rumpelstiltskin gave a slight smile and nodded for her to continue. Inside, he was beginning to consider that this one was too unstable, and it might be time to send her on her way.

She continued, "It took us some time to travel. But when we arrived, our hopes were indeed elevated. It was a grand city, with cobblestones so large they might look as hills, tall buildings that stretched to the sky. And the music and laughter, it was glorious. And then, there were the bean fields, far as the eye could see, the food of the giants, I expect. And all this came from crystal clear water from a single massive well, in the center of town. The whole affair was laid out like spokes on a wagon wheel, but one could hardly tell from our level. The design really was their undoing.

"When we arrived, Queen Jadis strode forth, and with an elegant weaving of magic, gave the giants notice. Fireworks, actually, very diplomatic of her. I would have preferred turning one of the brutes to stone. Oh they were polite at first, and we were ushered into the presence of a king, who was an ancient. Before him he had a great plaque carved. It went like this:

"Though under earth and throne less now I be. Yet, while I lived all earth was under me."

Melinda looked bemused before continuing, "I thought it quaint and rather pointless. Of course his entire court was present, the lords and ladies of his various houses. Their names were Abelard, Dachs, Gundula, Isold, Lamphrect, Harfang, and Wernher, as I recall. It was a grand affair, but giants, well things that would work on our scale look often grotesque on theirs.

"I would come to learn later the Lamphrect were the main bean farmers. Not that it really matters. The Harfang giants were barely worthy of the name, compared to the rest. Much shorter and smaller. Runts almost. Funny, after that first night, I do not know what became of them. It was Abelard's leader, a somewhat slow talking male whose name I never learned that proved to be the problem. He seemed to have the king's ear.

"Still, we had our grand entrance and were welcomed in style. The king made a point to feast us well. And then it was time for Queen Jadis to speak.

"It was a stirring speech. She spoke of how she had been cheated of her due in Narnia, how they could gain in riches and power by serving with her. She spoke of how the injustice had to be rectified and they could bring it to pass. It was a gorgeous speech, " Melinda said with misty eyes.

Rumpelstiltskin thought to himself, but did not say that it sounded entirely self-involved to almost petty. So what she had to say next came as little surprise.

"And then, he rejected it! All of it! She was graciously giving them a chance to do something worthwhile with their lives and he said no! He told her he and his would not serve her, " Melinda's eyes widened in anger as she spoke. For a woman of enchantment and beauty, it was an ugly look.

"So she swung her white furs about and we left. She said she would return at a future date, to discuss the matter further. But I knew that it meant I needed to show the initiative and finish it, " Melinda continued.

"So I did. Late that night, I stealthily made my way into the middle of town and poured a rather lovely poison I concocted into their only well.

"When we returned the next day, the king and most of his court lay dead, save for the heads of house Harfang, and that dullard from Abelard.

"Before I left to come here, Queen Jadis determined that the Abelard family had left the night before. Apparently, they had had a visitor who told them to run to Narnia that night. In short time, she laid a great curse upon that house. That any giant of house Ablelard beyond the northern border of Narnia would be a born of simple mind from then on. But that was her majesty, far too merciful. I would have not been so kind, " Melinda said calmly.

"Indeed, Dearie. So that brings us to the parting of the ways. I take it that happened soon thereafter, " Rumpelstiltskin said in his amused way.

"Oh yes! How insightful you are. Over time, her majesty had collected many prizes. The items I turned over to you were two of them. The other was a pair of magic rings, one green, one yellow. She claimed to have been given them by a rather silly device wizard of another realm. Sadly, they are a bit difficult in operation. Before I left, she cast a spell upon them, and she said I was to look for the place that reflected gold, switch rings, and go there as quick as I could. She claimed the realm between was highly dangerous and treacherous. She warned me that any other path would be death. She said it was full of true horror. In fact, I know I must have seen it, for I was wearing the other ring when I arrived. But I could not tell you what it looked like. As it is, according to her ladyship, they could only travel between the lands attuned, which was this land and Narnia. When I return, I must make that treacherous journey again. But I will succeed and be reunited with her Majesty, and in time, rule Narnia myself, " Melinda concluded with confidence.

"So it is only between here and this Narnia, then, " Rumpelstiltskin stated with a touch of deep buried frustration. Now that he had the story he needed, it was time to send her home with her prize. He was ready to declare her training, "complete." Oh well, a curse it was then. Pity really, the rings sounded as they held such promise, but risking his existence like that, no, no he wasn't prepared to do that. If he had, Balefire's words at their parting wouldn't still haunt him.

His son, calling him a coward before falling far from this world into a world without magic was the greatest regret of his life. All because he didn't honor the deal.

It was another cloudy day in Storybrooke. Ms. Aveline was out for a walk on of the streets that ran parallel to the main street. As she glanced towards downtown, and the clock tower, she saw a sight that surprised her.

It was a giant, tall and huge, walking down main street. Stomping more like. Somewhere, in the back of her mind, she idly wondered where his spiked shoes were, if he was going to war. But the rest of her mind agreed with the word she said which was, "Impossible!"

Then, the older, more mature element of her mind snapped to a derided her for perceiving fairy tales and impossibilities. As she looked back, and the giant was nowhere in sight. She shook her head and sighed to herself, "There, nothing. Sister, how can that imagination still do this to me after all these years?"

Despite what she told herself, there indeed had been a giant striding down the main street, in pursuit of David, but why that was and what happened to him after is another story. He might show up again, however. One can never tell.

While the terrors of the Wicked Witch reigned in Storybrooke, life moved on. Cars were fixed, Marco's shop built woodworks, and children went to school. It was lunch time that day, and a boy named "Billy" by the curse sat alone picking at his food. Every school has children like Billy. They are the children who don't exactly conform to the rules set forth by the popular people either because they don't know how, or they pretend not to care. He avoided eye contact by playing on his calculator watch. It had been a very popular item 30 years ago. Today that would change for him. It should have been a day to celebrate.

Simone sat down across from him with a cheery, "Hi!"

Billy's response was all the genius of a child who did not really know how to interact with other children. One who secretly always desperately wanted to interact effortlessly but was too terrified to. Which is to say he said something to the effect of "Um... hi?"

Simone laid the charm on thick. She was young yet and a woman like Melinda would have laughed at her efforts. She smiled in a cute and slightly coquettish way and said, "So I was thinking that you'd be fun to hang out with. Me, Adolf, and Nick are all sneaking out to the woods. You should come, it'll be fun."

Billy half smiled, and mumbled something along the line that that sounded like fun.

"Your daddy's first name is Adam, right? I always thought that was a neat name," Simone said.

He responded with a nervously mumbled, "yeah."

"Great, so you'll come right?"

"Sure, sounds fun, " Billy said. There's an old saying about sweetness, light, and cyanide. Unfortunately, Billy missed the presence of the last ingredient on that list.

Melinda entered Rumpelstiltskin's lair with a touch of trepidation. She knew she'd done well and quite honestly, he could be warm and charming in more ways than one, when he put a mind to it. To any who saw her, it was obvious that she dreaded the idea that their time was drawing to a close. And that soon, too soon, they would part ways. Still, returning to Narnia with her final prize would be worth it.

As she entered his grand hall with it's trophies aplenty, she realized one scheme she considered would not work. For Rumpelstiltskin lounged comfortably in the enchanted chair of silver she'd traded for when she first arrived.

Frankly, it made her a bit cross, and it showed in her voice, "Does it not work? After all this, and you would give me a broken artifact?"

His titter of amusement resonated in the hall as he twisted around to look up at her with a smile.

"Oh no, Dearie, " he said in a sing song voice with a smug grin, "it works just fine. Just not on me, or you for that matter. Buuuut I did bring along someone for you. "

With that, he gestured and middle aged woman was lowered in chains from the chandelier until she stood before them. She had a name of course, but neither cared.

"This little thief thought she'd steal some of my magic, " Rumpelstiltskin said with more than a touch of malice. "What was is it again, a magic wand to cure a sick kiddie? But then why would ya be needin' a wand that summons gold to cure the sick, I wonder... Dearie"

She turned to Melinda her blue eyes heavy with terrified desperation. She cried, "Mercy, please!"

Melinda tittered, and without the slightest bit of hesitation or compassion, pushed her into the silver chair, and activated it's magic.

In a moment, her eyes glazed and she sat still. Melinda said her best melodic tones, "now, you are Ursa, the brave bandit of myth. You will get up and walk out from here, and when you do, you'll remember only that you're the legendary bandit Ursa. Go find the best defended carriage and attempt to rob it only using your great strength."

With that, the thin and reedy woman, clearly under nourished and weak, headed out as if she was the strongest being imaginable. After the newly minted Ursa left, Rumpelstiltskin applauded.

"Well Dearie, you've got the hang of it. Of course, like any good curse, there is a catch," he said in his singsong voice.

Melinda pouted a bit, but if the item worked as advertised, she could achieve the role of queen a bit sooner than she'd originally thought, or perhaps the power behind the throne would be more to her liking.

Rumpelstiltskin continued on, seemingly oblivious to her plotting mind, "For one hour a day, the target of the chair must sit upon it. If the target does not, poof, no curse."

With a grand gesture, he concluded with a bow.

Melinda quietly nodded and said in a slightly sultry voice as she leaned forward, "so is this my going away present? Does this mean that I have learned all I need to learn? It has been such fun learning from you, all the things you teach."

He smiled and capered, and said, "Oh yes Dearie, you've learned all I have to teach you."

She sighed sadly, "I shall always remember our times. Now, off to lend my aid to my queen."

With that, she executed a formal curtsey, and donned the magical ring, vanishing.

Once she and her magical chair were well and truly gone, Rumpelstiltskin looked around, and said to the empty room, "Well that's that then. Maybe I should make my own monster, instead of using someone else's."

He would later make several monsters, most of whom were women.

It was several days since Belle had seen Ms. Aveline in town. On some level, she could have stayed angry with her, but decided that there wasn't a point in it. Besides, she had been reading the books Ms. Aveline spurned, and found something interesting. For, Ms. Aveline had been right, the description of High King Peter's shield was nothing like the cover. In fact, the book described it as a kite shield with golden background and cherry red lion device, not the round one shown on the cover art. The shield was probably magical from the description.

All of this had made Belle curious, which brought her on her mission today. That, and to see if Ms. Aveline wanted to trade out her current book for one on Medieval fashions she'd found in between researching what the Wicked Witch wanted in Storybrooke.

As she approached the cottage, she heard the distinctive thump of something thrown against the wall. Thinking something was wrong, Belle rushed to the door, only to hear a rather familiar sound of someone decrying an author's bizarre and utterly illogical plotting.

Assured that nothing bad had befallen Ms. Aveline, Belle knocked politely. About a minute later, the door unlocked and Ms. Aveline met her at the door, dressed in a comfortable dress, smiled and said, "Hullo Belle! What brings you by today?"

"Oh, I found a little something that you might like. I take it the previous book isn't going over so well," Belle said with a slight smile.

"That girl needs serious therapy! And seriously, a boyfriend who breaks into your house to watch you while you sleep?"

In that moment, Belle really missed her Rumple, as she called him. Mrs. Aveline stopped, and quietly gave Belle a quick hug. She said, "come in dear, and let's talk for a while. It looks like you've got something bothering you."

As Mrs. Aveline closed the door behind Belle, she did not see that other eyes had been marking Belle's travels with an interest that was much more malign.

Inside, Mrs. Aveline made tea, and in time served it to Belle, who took it with a lump of sugar, but no cream. As they got settled, they studiously engaged in small talk about everything and anything but what was really bothering them, until it was time for the real talk.

Mrs. Aveline started the deeper conversation in this way, "Do you know, Belle, there is something refreshing about the air of Storybrooke. I loved seeing England again, but it was so tiring. I hadn't used my cane in months, but by the time I arrived there I was tired and using it constantly. I feel the sand's almost all run out, but I still have something left to finish.

Mrs. Aveline laughed and said, "Oh but I do go on, tell me about what has been happening in Storybrooke?"

The truth, that Peter Pan was actually Rumpelstiltskin's father, and had caused the unwinding of the curse to prevent the death of everyone present was not something she wanted to talk about, and in any case, Belle didn't know what had passed in the interim or brought them back, so she said sadly, "I really do not want to talk about that, can we talk about something else?"

Mrs. Aveline got up and hugged Belle. Mrs. Aveline said, "We are friends, Belle, it's alright. I feel you want to talk about it, as you can. What is wrong?"

"It's Rumple, " Belle said, "I do miss him so. We left so much unsaid. True, he could be a beast at times, but deep down there was a hurting man who just needed love, I'd say. However, he departed in a noble way, and I left me sure he loved me."

"And yet, he left?"

"It really was the only way. I do miss him so. How does one deal with that?"

Mrs. Aveline looked deeply sad as she spoke, "I don't know. One day at a time, I suppose. At one time, I used to believe I would see my loved ones again. Now, I just don't know what to believe. It's like fairy tales, our modern world has no time for them anymore. Or the belief that someone can be intrinsically good."

Belle said quietly feeling it a rare moment of sharing, "Could you tell me your story? What of it you can bear?"

"It has been enough years. It was 1955. My siblings and I had a falling out some years back, because they kept insisting that a fairy tale we concocted during the Blitz was real. But really, it was all quite impossible. Travel between worlds is a fun fantasy, but it doesn't happen."

Mrs. Aveline continued, oblivious to the irony that her company had, in fact done just that, "1955 was the last time we spoke. My younger sister called me, she said my siblings, cousin, and family friends had gathered and something was wrong with that imaginary land. She begged me to come with them, to meet them at the train in Bristol.

"I told her she was mad. That there was no such land, and it was a foolish game, and to grow up. We had a horrible row over the telephone, and I told her I wasn't going to come, I had more important things to do, and I hung up on her while she was in tears.

Mrs. Aveline dabbed her eyes and said, "The next day, all the talk was of the train derailment. I lost my brothers and sister, a cousin considerably less bratty than he used to be, and a beloved mentor and friends, over a story they insisted on believing.

"And the last words I ever said to one of the people I loved the most were in anger and frustration. I called her mad," Mrs. Aveline concluded with a catch in her voice, "I have carried that burden for more than fifty years. Sometimes, I reread my old books, and pray that maybe, some day, I can believe that I'll see my sister again, and be reunited."

Belle got up and hugged Mrs. Aveline in a gently sisterly way. As she sat down, she began in her halting way she told the story of how she met Rumpelstiltskin and how she came to take care of his household, initially as a servant, but over time more. She talked about these things and others. It was more a discussion of sights and smells and feelings than anything else. She did not share the truths of the Enchanted Forest, for she felt she could not for the sake of those that lived in Storybrooke.

And in that season, they found common ground and a friendship once a bit stormy found itself in clear skies with golden sun in clear view. As they parted, Belle parted more at peace than she had been in a long time. She wouldn't have been so peaceful had she known Zelena, the Wicked Witch, was watching her leave.

"No no, " Zelena said to herself, "She would be too obviously missed. Besides I can torture her precious Rumple all the more by letting her be, but out of his reach."

As Belle walked up the road and out of sight, her mind had wandered, she was sure there was a connection between Mrs. Aveline and the books they'd found that day, but she wasn't sure what it was.

Zelena watched her go, then turned her eyes back towards the cottage and thought aloud, "She on the other hand would be perfect for one of my flying..."

"You shall not, witch, " a voice growled behind her.

Zelena turned, and saw. Were one to ask her about this moment later, she would claim that she graciously decided to withdraw, the fight not being worth her time. That isn't what happened. Instead, she responded in the fine tradition of other evil witches, she forgot everything she knew about magic and power, hitched up her skirts, and ran for it.

Elsewhere, at about the same time, Simone, Nick, and Adolf led young Billy to the 'play' area hidden deep in the woods. Had Regina, Mr. Gold, or even the Mother Superior seen their preparations at the location, they would have put a stop to it immediately. The ground had been worked into a massive sigil, with a spot for a fire in the middle. Simone had hidden the materials she stole to make the flame nearby.

On some level, Billy knew something was wrong, but he silenced the quiet voice of warning. He wanted friends too much to let the momentary pricking of worry stop him. While Adolf pretended to be his friend, Nick helped Simone arrange things. Then, she lit the flame, and Nick, felt a sick feeling. He ignored it, because he thought himself too wise to fall subject to a feeling of wrongness. It was all in his head, surely.

When Billy saw the flame, he flinched a bit, because it flickered in a blue flame, clearly magic. But Simone smiled in a disarming way and said, "come on closer. We're almost done. This will be sooo cool."

Simone began chanting. It was not in any language Billy knew. It was a strange guttural chant that was almost worshipful of the 'white lady.' Billy just felt so strange, and wanted out. The heat from the flame felt greasy and wrong. So instead of approaching, he started to back away.

"Adolf, grab him, " Simone spat, "We're too close. Don't be a baby Billy, this will only take a moment."

Gently, but not tenderly, Simone pricked his finger, letting a single drop fall into the flame. After all, the ritual had specified a drop.

And then, another drop pulled from Billy's small wound, another, and another and another. Adolf and Simone held him tight with excited smiles. Power, surely would be theirs. Nick, however, looked on and felt sick. He just didn't have the courage to do anything.

And soon the wound turned from trickle, to a think stream, while Billy struggled and Adolf covered his mouth to prevent the screams of pain and fear. In the midst of the fire, against all logic, ice began rising as a pillar.

And soon, Billy paled and fell unconscious, as the flow continued, until finally, it trickled off and stopped. Adolf laid Billy down, and stepped aside with Simone in expectation.

Suddenly, the ice pillar shattered, leaving a seven foot tall, stunning beauty of a woman with black hair and ruby red lips. She had the type of beauty that could cloud a person's mind to truth, especially if one wasn't particularly well acquainted with the concept. She was dressed in a long white dress, with mink stole overtop. It looked a bit warm for Storybrooke. A lesser woman would have been sweating, but not this one. Instead she viewed them with dispassion, and moved her head a bit side to side as if studying them.

"Children," she said with a smile, "how lovely that you have brought me back. I am Empress Jadis, and Queen of Narnia by right and by conquest. Hmmm, the magic is different here. Where am I?"


End file.
